Civil society and water administration of Sebou River Basin, Morocco

The Sbou river is the second largest river in Morocco, running from its Wadi Guigou source in the Middle Atlas mountains into the Atlantic Ocean. the Sebou River provides water to the country's most fertile region, the Gharb.

On its way to the Atlantic, the river suffers from pollution from the citiesit runs through, like the imperial city of Fes, and much of its water is used for irrigation such as in the Gharb.

About the project in Morocco

Wetlands International works with its partner World Wildlife Fund'Mediterranean Programme (WWFMedPro) in Morocco and the Sebou River Basin Authority to define, test and validate - in a participatory manner - a monitoring & evaluation system of Sebou surface water ecological status.

Furthermore, the project is developing state of the art of ecological water quality monitoring tools in Morocco and abroad. Also, a feasibility study is done on transferring existing tools (WFD, MedWet CODDE project) to the Moroccan context.

Moreover, another key element of the project is a monitoring system involving the different water users and stakeholders : fishermen, agricultural organisations, dam managers, environmental NGOs, and researchers. This system will be tested in the field with representatives of each group. Sharing of information with the River Basin Authority is facilitatd through the project's Green Water Platform.

Photos:

Oil pollution of a wetland in the Sebou Basin

Merja Zerga where the Sebou River reaches the Atlantic Ocean

Ifrane National Park in the Middle Atlas, where the Sebou River has its source